I'm glad that you mentioned how the late 80's were when this book came out. People wonder why Gen-X had no ambition to do anything: we honest-to-God didn't know if we'd make it. It took close to a decade to shake it off the sense of doom.
Still.....it was the last Golden Age of every art form- music (Punk/Metal/Hip Hop/New Wave), Movies (Indy Film, Horror, Sci-Fi, Foreign) graffiti, comics, Wrestling,.....it was a Golden Age and we didn't even know it!
Coincidentally, I just finished a close read of Elektra: Assassin a few weeks ago. I had read the original when it first came out, but really couldn't make much sense of it back then. This time, with a careful read, I appreciated the complex nature of the story and the brilliant artwork by Sienkiewicz. Your video has helped clarify some of the elements that still eluded me (even with my close read). When the series came out, Elektra Assassin was overlooked amid the hype of Watchmen and The Dark Knight, probably because of its challenging structure and unorthodox visuals, but those are the very things for which it should be celebrated. I consider Elektra now to be one of the finest examples of comic book storytelling, because, as you say, it could only work in this medium.
I went from hating Sienkiewicz in elementary school, aghast at his abstract take on my favorite characters whenever guest inked a book I read, to by college he was and has since remained by favorite artist (along with Trevor Von Eden).
I think we're living in nuclear horror again and realising - in a different way, of course - the zeitgeist of this series. As always, thanks for the video!
Wow... How did I forget so much of this. I didn't like Garret, but putting his mind into the President was a good ending. This is an excellent review; thank you for the episode! The Sienkiewicz Artisan Edition is very cool too. Inspiring work.
I am so glad you did this video! It’s my fav of all time because it’s truly something you can only experience as a comic. I feel like this comic would have way more praise if Elektra as a character was respected more or if it was able to be seen along the more acclaimed graphic novels and not with the usual marvel fare the character is featured in.
One thing I always loved about this series is their ability to do set ups and payoffs that just made me smile. At one point Garret tells Fury that as Electra is escaping, she quickly takes out several Shield agents, whom Garret describes as 'the luckiest stiffs on duty' or some similar... and proceeds to lay out Electra's gruesome improvisational mayhem that makes that ring all too true, but not seemed forced. Badass lines like that are easier to make than to pay off on, and man, did this book pay off.
This is story is hugely influential on Nick Fury. It inspired alot of Garth Ennis’s take which lead to the Fury Max books, with Fury my war gone by being one of the best books marvel has ever put out. The orginal Fury max book was what lead to Fury George Clooney dropping out of playing Nick Fury apparently. Additionally the new ultimate universe interpretation is based on this verison. Seriously, when you get a chance read fury my war gone by
Even the OG Nick Fury (616) was characterized like Ennis' version from the 2000s onward. A paranoid, brutal strategist willing to go to extreme lengths to protect this country. Brian Michael Bendis wrote him amazingly in Secret War, another underrated Fury book
@@mawinstallation6626 from my understanding the Ennis book were intended to be cannon to 616. Fury my war gone by is referenced in orginal sin #5. Microchip being killed by Frank is referenced during Remmender’s . Civil War references valley forge. There are tons of Punisher runs that have loose references to Born. Shield is referenced during Max and goes out of its way to explain the disappearance of microchip and references Ennis’s prior run. I’m not exactly sure why Max ( the Ennis stuff) isn’t canon aside from marvel not wanting a title that doesn’t crossover with 616 and its violate nature. It’s not even a title that changes the status quo much
And once again another SBP video I'll have to hold off on watching because, low and behold, I somehow managed to get my hands on an affordable copy of this series and it's waiting on my backlog. I'll at least do you the courtesy of having this video play out in silence for it's whole duration so that you'll get my view.
I like that a lot of us old heads read this stuff as a young mind not quite getting it and re-reading with your help and realizing how cool we were as ten year olds ..
Was a fantastic comic at the time. My lasting memory of it was how great a job the series did in making characters like Elektra, the beast and both cyborgs seem larger than life and, well, cool as all hell. Elektra moves faster than a camera can follow. She's a ninja, but not just a storm shadow or some woman in a black outfit. She's mystical, supernatural and unknowable. The beast is this primal voice that existed before light came into the universe. Its speech bubbles, its plans, the constant use of the smell of rotten mayonnaise - just fantastic imagery. The piece de resistance, though, is the single page about Perry's upgrades. I still think it's almost pitch perfect - a description indicating half the records have been lost before listing horrific ability after ability. Then ending with 'he is also completely insane'. Chills.
I've been wanting to read Elektra Assassin for around 35 years but never got around to it. TBH I wish I'd read it when I was younger since I'm sure I'd have really enjoyed it, but as I've gotten older I find myself liking Miller's work less and less. I recently reread a bunch of his stuff including Ronin, Dark Knight Returns, Give Me Liberty and all the Sin City stories, and the only one I really enjoyed was Give Me Liberty.
A friend of mine had this in junior high and let me borrow it. My young mind had no idea what was going on but I fell in love with it. I read it again as an adult and while I still enjoy it, it doesn’t live up to the hype my younger self had.
Neal Adam is far far less of a nut case. He has a silly theory about the earth having a hollow inside. ( which is stupid and wrong) but it’s not causing anyone harm. In fact, In terms of actually helping fellow creators he’s basically responsible for so much of what comicbook artists have today
@@paulakroy2635 Neal Adams did more for the rights of his fellow creators than almost any other comics pro, but believing in a hollow Earth conspiracy is pretty much the definition of being a nutcase.
I inherited this comic and never really payed attention to it (mostly because I never cared that much for Frank Miller) until the day I decided to read it. It lowkey became of of my favorites comics ever, by the sheer coked-up insanity of both history and visuals, and how they perfectly complement each other, and I emerged from it a lifelong Sienkiewicz devotee.
I’ve been wanting to read this for quite some time. Hopefully Marvel will reprint it one day since they recently reprinted Frank Miller’s other DD work.
The cover of the #1 issue caught my eye instanly at the comic book store and made a lasting impression. I still don't know why. To this day the image I see in my head is slightly different, much larger than the original, the gun is bigger, etc. It's one of the handful of comics (three) that are on display in that corner of my home reserved for my books. I didn't know much about Elektra, but I needed that issue despite my hesitations and apprehensions when I looked inside the comic. I was too young for that ride, but I wanted to be a part of it. The monthly distribution didn't help me understanding what was going on as I read every new issue without being sure what happened in the previous. The panels, the dynamic of the action, the Dan Quayle collage, the general madness and plot twists were overwhelming, but I still enjoyed it tremendously, despite my confusion. That series opened the door to other similar series like Shade The Changing Man. I knew I would have to revisit Elektra: Assassin at some point, but that moment was always "later". I guess this video is a sign that that day has come. Thanks. 👍🏻
Been a long time since I read this (probably back when it was first published). It seemed so over the top then. Sadly, It doesn't seem that over the top now.
I had to read the comic twice to like it but its good. Though it demands a lot of you at first. In canon Marvel comics referenced this plot and characters much later so it's not just an imaginary story.
Thank you! Elektra is an interesting character to watch change over the last forty-some years. Pinup, hero, villain, icon. I don't think she ever became an icon though I believe some have tried. Wherever comics are in the gender war, Elektra is usually in the middle of it. That might be because she isn't that important of a character that no one cares what creators do with her. Wonder Woman is an Intellectual property that has to be Focus Group the hell out of before any major changes are made to her. No one cares what you do to Elektra. I am of course a man of a certain age. Elektra was the comic book character that brought me from the childish Adam West Batman mindset into more of an adult. After Elektra Assassin, I picked up Grendel, The Dark Kight Returns, Watchman, Animal Man, and Lone Wolf and Cub. Probably shouldn't discredit her outfit or the lack of one. After I read Elektra I realized I prefer my characters to die. Elektra Lives is where her story ends for me. Probably need to talk to a therapist about that someday. Thanks again.
I remember you mentioning you really liked this book. I tried checking it out and, to be honest it wasn't really my cup of tea. Nevertheless, it's cool that you made a video on it!
The Spider Verse movies have the closest style swapping madness of Elektra: Assassin. It even has a Kingpin with visual design similar to Daredevil: Love And War. Who knows? an adaptation maybe possible one day that could at least capture the spirit. Who cares? we have a brilliant comic to read.
Where can I find out more about very-unusual-for-the-time art techniques used in this limited series? What is it? (Gouache? Watercolour? Coloured India Ink?) How did Sienkiewicz land on it, after working on industry books? And why was Marvel in the mood to allow it?
Ben Affleck should direct an adaptation of this story with Jennifer Garner starring in the lead role. He’s clearly a talented enough director to have made: Argo, The Town, and Gone Baby Gone. Plus, Garner’s no stranger to action especially starring in Alias.
Ooh, yeah. EA tops every other Elektra story all to hell, including Miller's own Elektra Lives Again. We'd never seen anything like this, and reading it justified skipping Stray Toasters. Interesting thinking about this book's place in Miller's arc from single-handedly redefining action/fantasy/sci fi comics to his "drooling in a rubber room" years and his current hacky retread status. As an exercise in pulling out all the stops, this succeeds exactly where Dark Knight 2 failed. Just abandon the dreary superhero trappings and spin us a balls-out adventure yarn. Of course, it coming with a hundreds of pages of Sienkiewicz in his prime breaking all the formal rules made this an incredible combo package of awesome.
Hated Sienkiewicz's stint in New Mutants. Though the colors and art style felt more dramatic in tone, the depictions of the characters, along with many of the scenes themselves, were too visually dark and like an abstract rendering. Having seen any book with his art on the cover would immediately turn me away from a purchase. His art here looks better here in Elektra. I guess he's an acquired taste. A taste I never acquired.
*gasp* THE INTRO MUSIC IS BACK!!!!
I'm glad that you mentioned how the late 80's were when this book came out. People wonder why Gen-X had no ambition to do anything: we honest-to-God didn't know if we'd make it. It took close to a decade to shake it off the sense of doom.
Do you remember the bomb drills in school?
Still.....it was the last Golden Age of every art form- music (Punk/Metal/Hip Hop/New Wave), Movies (Indy Film, Horror, Sci-Fi, Foreign) graffiti, comics, Wrestling,.....it was a Golden Age and we didn't even know it!
@@carloscrecelius9597 Yeah. Plus, the Presidential Fitness Program.
@@juniorjames7076 It definitely was.
lol the doom never left y'all
Sienkiewicz is one of my all-time top five favorite comic artists. His work on New Mutants was a must by of my youth
I love 80’s water paint artwork, it’s so soft and beautiful, and this series is some of the very best
Coincidentally, I just finished a close read of Elektra: Assassin a few weeks ago. I had read the original when it first came out, but really couldn't make much sense of it back then. This time, with a careful read, I appreciated the complex nature of the story and the brilliant artwork by Sienkiewicz. Your video has helped clarify some of the elements that still eluded me (even with my close read). When the series came out, Elektra Assassin was overlooked amid the hype of Watchmen and The Dark Knight, probably because of its challenging structure and unorthodox visuals, but those are the very things for which it should be celebrated. I consider Elektra now to be one of the finest examples of comic book storytelling, because, as you say, it could only work in this medium.
I went from hating Sienkiewicz in elementary school, aghast at his abstract take on my favorite characters whenever guest inked a book I read, to by college he was and has since remained by favorite artist (along with Trevor Von Eden).
I think we're living in nuclear horror again and realising - in a different way, of course - the zeitgeist of this series.
As always, thanks for the video!
Return of the iconic intro melody! Loved this mini series. Great coverage, SBP. Thank you.
Wow... How did I forget so much of this. I didn't like Garret, but putting his mind into the President was a good ending.
This is an excellent review; thank you for the episode! The Sienkiewicz Artisan Edition is very cool too. Inspiring work.
"Despite the issue being insane"
Oh SBP never change.
One of the best of the 80s
i love ur videos sm i use them as comic recs all the time
Too bad we never got an Elektra "Got Milk?" ad.
Yet another grand slam of comic book content from this exceptional channel. THANK YOU SIR
I am so glad you did this video! It’s my fav of all time because it’s truly something you can only experience as a comic. I feel like this comic would have way more praise if Elektra as a character was respected more or if it was able to be seen along the more acclaimed graphic novels and not with the usual marvel fare the character is featured in.
One thing I always loved about this series is their ability to do set ups and payoffs that just made me smile.
At one point Garret tells Fury that as Electra is escaping, she quickly takes out several Shield agents, whom Garret describes as 'the luckiest stiffs on duty' or some similar... and proceeds to lay out Electra's gruesome improvisational mayhem that makes that ring all too true, but not seemed forced. Badass lines like that are easier to make than to pay off on, and man, did this book pay off.
This is story is hugely influential on Nick Fury. It inspired alot of Garth Ennis’s take which lead to the Fury Max books, with Fury my war gone by being one of the best books marvel has ever put out. The orginal Fury max book was what lead to Fury George Clooney dropping out of playing Nick Fury apparently. Additionally the new ultimate universe interpretation is based on this verison.
Seriously, when you get a chance read fury my war gone by
Changing nick fury from an action spy to a Cold War solider was an inspired choice.
Even the OG Nick Fury (616) was characterized like Ennis' version from the 2000s onward. A paranoid, brutal strategist willing to go to extreme lengths to protect this country. Brian Michael Bendis wrote him amazingly in Secret War, another underrated Fury book
@@mawinstallation6626 from my understanding the Ennis book were intended to be cannon to 616. Fury my war gone by is referenced in orginal sin #5. Microchip being killed by Frank is referenced during Remmender’s . Civil War references valley forge. There are tons of Punisher runs that have loose references to Born. Shield is referenced during Max and goes out of its way to explain the disappearance of microchip and references Ennis’s prior run.
I’m not exactly sure why Max ( the Ennis stuff) isn’t canon aside from marvel not wanting a title that doesn’t crossover with 616 and its violate nature. It’s not even a title that changes the status quo much
Always wanted to read it but never had the chance to grabbed the Deluxe :(
Stray Toasters and E:A are two of my absolute favorites.
Maybe my favorite and tripiest miniseries of all time. Thanks ✌️
Loved the vídeo, Hope for more vídeos like this
Amazing vid... I'm loving the classic intro and editing.
And once again another SBP video I'll have to hold off on watching because, low and behold, I somehow managed to get my hands on an affordable copy of this series and it's waiting on my backlog. I'll at least do you the courtesy of having this video play out in silence for it's whole duration so that you'll get my view.
Don't worry, this is one of those precious few artworks that you could not spoil the story even if trying your best.
I like that a lot of us old heads read this stuff as a young mind not quite getting it and re-reading with your help and realizing how cool we were as ten year olds ..
Was a fantastic comic at the time.
My lasting memory of it was how great a job the series did in making characters like Elektra, the beast and both cyborgs seem larger than life and, well, cool as all hell. Elektra moves faster than a camera can follow. She's a ninja, but not just a storm shadow or some woman in a black outfit. She's mystical, supernatural and unknowable. The beast is this primal voice that existed before light came into the universe. Its speech bubbles, its plans, the constant use of the smell of rotten mayonnaise - just fantastic imagery.
The piece de resistance, though, is the single page about Perry's upgrades. I still think it's almost pitch perfect - a description indicating half the records have been lost before listing horrific ability after ability. Then ending with 'he is also completely insane'. Chills.
Oh so that's what it's about.
Would love to see more synopsis videos like this! How about Beanworld ?
I've been wanting to read Elektra Assassin for around 35 years but never got around to it. TBH I wish I'd read it when I was younger since I'm sure I'd have really enjoyed it, but as I've gotten older I find myself liking Miller's work less and less. I recently reread a bunch of his stuff including Ronin, Dark Knight Returns, Give Me Liberty and all the Sin City stories, and the only one I really enjoyed was Give Me Liberty.
A friend of mine had this in junior high and let me borrow it. My young mind had no idea what was going on but I fell in love with it. I read it again as an adult and while I still enjoy it, it doesn’t live up to the hype my younger self had.
I had to learn to appreciate BILL s art. I wasn't ready for him until I was ready.
His art is awesomeness 🎉🎉🎉
To me, Miller is a lot like Neal Adams. When he's on, hes a genius. When he's not, hes a nutcase.
Neal Adam is far far less of a nut case. He has a silly theory about the earth having a hollow inside. ( which is stupid and wrong) but it’s not causing anyone harm. In fact, In terms of actually helping fellow creators he’s basically responsible for so much of what comicbook artists have today
@@paulakroy2635 Neal Adams did more for the rights of his fellow creators than almost any other comics pro, but believing in a hollow Earth conspiracy is pretty much the definition of being a nutcase.
Great analysis! This is and underrated classic and yeah...as a guy who remembers the 80's, the treat of WW3 was all over pop culture back then!
I inherited this comic and never really payed attention to it (mostly because I never cared that much for Frank Miller) until the day I decided to read it. It lowkey became of of my favorites comics ever, by the sheer coked-up insanity of both history and visuals, and how they perfectly complement each other, and I emerged from it a lifelong Sienkiewicz devotee.
I remember waiting with bated breath for each installment of this comic. It was brilliantly fun.
I’ve been wanting to read this for quite some time. Hopefully Marvel will reprint it one day since they recently reprinted Frank Miller’s other DD work.
The first issue cover! $6 was a fortune back then. I wish i got it. The trade paperback got read many times over.
The cover of the #1 issue caught my eye instanly at the comic book store and made a lasting impression. I still don't know why. To this day the image I see in my head is slightly different, much larger than the original, the gun is bigger, etc. It's one of the handful of comics (three) that are on display in that corner of my home reserved for my books.
I didn't know much about Elektra, but I needed that issue despite my hesitations and apprehensions when I looked inside the comic. I was too young for that ride, but I wanted to be a part of it. The monthly distribution didn't help me understanding what was going on as I read every new issue without being sure what happened in the previous. The panels, the dynamic of the action, the Dan Quayle collage, the general madness and plot twists were overwhelming, but I still enjoyed it tremendously, despite my confusion. That series opened the door to other similar series like Shade The Changing Man.
I knew I would have to revisit Elektra: Assassin at some point, but that moment was always "later". I guess this video is a sign that that day has come.
Thanks. 👍🏻
Been a long time since I read this (probably back when it was first published). It seemed so over the top then. Sadly, It doesn't seem that over the top now.
I had to read the comic twice to like it but its good. Though it demands a lot of you at first. In canon Marvel comics referenced this plot and characters much later so it's not just an imaginary story.
Do my ears deceive me? Has the original intro tune finally returned to us. Tis a good day indeed!
And the intro music is back!
WOOAH!!
I think this is the best book Miller has done. My favorite at least.
Thank you thank you thank you for using the classic intro music! So nostaligic!
I’ve always heard about this book but never read it 🤔I guess I have to remedy that
I have a vague memory about first learning about this comic in the dvd extras of the Elektra movie
I have the artist edition and it's amazing. The artisan edition is great too. Just read this and see it in any way you can.
I was always dead certain that gun Fury was testing was based on the Marvel Ricochet Racer
I love this book.
Thank you!
Elektra is an interesting character to watch change over the last forty-some years. Pinup, hero, villain, icon. I don't think she ever became an icon though I believe some have tried. Wherever comics are in the gender war, Elektra is usually in the middle of it. That might be because she isn't that important of a character that no one cares what creators do with her.
Wonder Woman is an Intellectual property that has to be Focus Group the hell out of before any major changes are made to her. No one cares what you do to Elektra.
I am of course a man of a certain age. Elektra was the comic book character that brought me from the childish Adam West Batman mindset into more of an adult. After Elektra Assassin, I picked up Grendel, The Dark Kight Returns, Watchman, Animal Man, and Lone Wolf and Cub. Probably shouldn't discredit her outfit or the lack of one.
After I read Elektra I realized I prefer my characters to die. Elektra Lives is where her story ends for me. Probably need to talk to a therapist about that someday. Thanks again.
I remember you mentioning you really liked this book. I tried checking it out and, to be honest it wasn't really my cup of tea. Nevertheless, it's cool that you made a video on it!
I swear the '80s was the last Golden Age of almost every art form! And we took it for granted.
Have you seen the Lupin the 3rd movie "mystery of mamo"? Watching this video reminded me of it and stylistically their are similarities.
I need to revisit this… when I last read it I was young and still appreciated FM writing… now, not so much on either point.
The Spider Verse movies have the closest style swapping madness of Elektra: Assassin. It even has a Kingpin with visual design similar to Daredevil: Love And War. Who knows? an adaptation maybe possible one day that could at least capture the spirit. Who cares? we have a brilliant comic to read.
Where can I find out more about very-unusual-for-the-time art techniques used in this limited series? What is it? (Gouache? Watercolour? Coloured India Ink?) How did Sienkiewicz land on it, after working on industry books? And why was Marvel in the mood to allow it?
One of the best series of all time that doesn't get enough love....😞😞😞
Ben Affleck should direct an adaptation of this story with Jennifer Garner starring in the lead role. He’s clearly a talented enough director to have made: Argo, The Town, and Gone Baby Gone. Plus, Garner’s no stranger to action especially starring in Alias.
oof baddest indeed
I didn't care for the story but I used the trade for a Sienkiewicz monograph!
Ooh, yeah. EA tops every other Elektra story all to hell, including Miller's own Elektra Lives Again. We'd never seen anything like this, and reading it justified skipping Stray Toasters.
Interesting thinking about this book's place in Miller's arc from single-handedly redefining action/fantasy/sci fi comics to his "drooling in a rubber room" years and his current hacky retread status. As an exercise in pulling out all the stops, this succeeds exactly where Dark Knight 2 failed. Just abandon the dreary superhero trappings and spin us a balls-out adventure yarn. Of course, it coming with a hundreds of pages of Sienkiewicz in his prime breaking all the formal rules made this an incredible combo package of awesome.
I started this last year and couldn't finish. Bought them all, all excited... love the art but I don't enjoy Miller. Even his "best" stuff.
Izzy,buttons want to be as cute as you.
Hated Sienkiewicz's stint in New Mutants. Though the colors and art style felt more dramatic in tone, the depictions of the characters, along with many of the scenes themselves, were too visually dark and like an abstract rendering. Having seen any book with his art on the cover would immediately turn me away from a purchase. His art here looks better here in Elektra.
I guess he's an acquired taste. A taste I never acquired.
Bad!
Overrated.